The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
FAST bowler Blessing Muzarabani is set to resume his international career after he was named in Zimbabwe’s squad for the limited-overs series in Pakistan.
The 24-year-old fast bowler was selected for the tour after he recently ended his stint with English county side Northamptonshire. He joined Northamptonshire in september 2018 on a Kolpak contract which did not allow him to represent the country of his birth in international cricket.
Muzarabani had played one Test, 18 one-day international matches and six Twenty20 internationals for Zimbabwe when he decided to put his international career on hold in 2018 to take up the county contract.
The return of the tall pace bowler is certainly a massive boost for Zimbabwe, considering that experienced frontline seamer Kyle Jarvis is not available for the Pakistan tour due to a stress fracture injury.
Milton Shumba and Faraz Akram, yet to be capped in international cricket have made it into Zimbabwe’s 20-man squad that is set to go into a bio-secure bubble in Harare tomorrow prior to departure for Pakistan on 19 October. There is a return to the national team for Brian Chari who was strangely left out of the tour of Bangladesh when he was the leading run scorer in the domestic 50 over matches played prior to that international assignment.
Captain Chamunorwa Chibhabha, fellow seasoned campaigners Brendan Taylor, Tendai Chatara, Craig Ervine, Sikandar Raza, Sean Williams as well as Elton Chigumbura should provide the much-needed guidance to the youngsters on this tour.
The ODI series in Pakistan, which will be part of the inaugural ICC Cricket World Cup Super League, is scheduled for 30 October and 1 and 3 November. The T20I matches are scheduled for 7, 8 and 10 November.
Meanwhile, second-placed Amakhosi face bottom of the log side Great Zimbabwe Patriots in a National Premier League match lined up for Queens Sports Club today. Kwekwe Sports Club is the venue for the clash between Queens and Takashinga, Easterns collide with log leaders Harare Kings at Mutare Sports Club while Rainbow clash with Midwest at Harare Sports Club.
Zimbabwe squad for Pakistan: Chamunorwa Chibhabha (captain), Faraz Akram, Ryan Burl, Brian Chari, Tendai Chatara, Elton Chigumbura, Tendai Chisoro, Craig Ervine, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, Wesley Madhevere, Wellington Masakadza, Carl Mumba, Richmond Mutumbami, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Sikandar Raza, Milton Shumba, Brendan Taylor, Donald Tiripano, Sean Williams. -@Mdawini_29.
